Replacement Struts...smoother ride
03-30-2017, 02:27 PM
#21
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Yep, forgot to mention that. I use anti-sieze or hi-temp lithium grease. It can handle the heat that you often get if you use impact tools to turn the compressor bolts
03-30-2017, 03:21 PM
#22
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Jasper, IN
Posts: 772
Good on the return.
For this car yes, I would consider the all inclusive ones a bad idea. KYB might be the only ones I would consider for these cars. But, if you're going with anything other than KYB on the strut, go with Ford strut mounts and keep the stock springs.
Tools... You accumulate them throughout your lifetime working on cars. I can work on just about any domestic and most imports now except German. I could never afford everything I have now in one shopping spree (thousands). I've been collecting tools for about 23 years or so.
Going through that now in terms of gearing up to take on the maintenance on my wifes '13 VW turbo beetle. A lot of their stuff is 12 point bits called Triple- squares (not sockets) or allen head and I don't have a good complete set of either of those.
Hand tools like sockets, wrenches, torque wrenches and screw drivers, buy quality. Things like the strut spring compressor you can either borrow from the local auto shop for free or buy a mid-range one. Buy it once and never have to buy it again.
For this car yes, I would consider the all inclusive ones a bad idea. KYB might be the only ones I would consider for these cars. But, if you're going with anything other than KYB on the strut, go with Ford strut mounts and keep the stock springs.
Tools... You accumulate them throughout your lifetime working on cars. I can work on just about any domestic and most imports now except German. I could never afford everything I have now in one shopping spree (thousands). I've been collecting tools for about 23 years or so.
Going through that now in terms of gearing up to take on the maintenance on my wifes '13 VW turbo beetle. A lot of their stuff is 12 point bits called Triple- squares (not sockets) or allen head and I don't have a good complete set of either of those.
Hand tools like sockets, wrenches, torque wrenches and screw drivers, buy quality. Things like the strut spring compressor you can either borrow from the local auto shop for free or buy a mid-range one. Buy it once and never have to buy it again.
I was planning on getting the monroe struts and shocks. I understand these to basically be oem replacements.
I believe even kyb has an all one piece part.
I would appreciate a little eduction in this regard. I have two friends whom i would consider very knowledgeable telling me to go with all in one sets.
03-30-2017, 04:07 PM
#23
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Posts: 920
I used to think that as well, but I've used my spring compressors about 5 times. two for struts, once for GT500 strut mounts, two for camber plates, the first ones I got were crap so I had to replace with Maximum Motorsports ones, which seem a little better. I got the locking ones off Amazon, they were cheap but excellent quality.
03-31-2017, 01:42 PM
#24
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
I used to think that as well, but I've used my spring compressors about 5 times. two for struts, once for GT500 strut mounts, two for camber plates, the first ones I got were crap so I had to replace with Maximum Motorsports ones, which seem a little better. I got the locking ones off Amazon, they were cheap but excellent quality.
For example, I picked up a brand new complete Motorcraft cooling fan assembly (shroud, two fans, and two fan blades) for our 06 Escape for $100 a few months ago. The original ones were starting to get noisy and had some play. The least expensive I was able to find from any other source for the Motorcraft one was $245. i just happened to time my search right.
03-31-2017, 01:56 PM
#25
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Why are all inclusive so bad? Wouldn't all new make sense? Especially after 127k miles.
I was planning on getting the monroe struts and shocks. I understand these to basically be oem replacements.
I believe even kyb has an all one piece part.
I would appreciate a little eduction in this regard. I have two friends whom i would consider very knowledgeable telling me to go with all in one sets.
I was planning on getting the monroe struts and shocks. I understand these to basically be oem replacements.
I believe even kyb has an all one piece part.
I would appreciate a little eduction in this regard. I have two friends whom i would consider very knowledgeable telling me to go with all in one sets.
The more components you replace with non-oem components, or ones that aren't designated as better than OEM, the more you will likely negatively affect performance. I.E. Monroe Strut ok that's one item, Monroe strut + strut mount, that's now two items, Strut + mount + spring, that's three things now that may possibly be not as good as OEM so that's a compounded performance hit or a stacking of any negative attributes any one component may have had.
I mentioned KYB might be the only one I would consider an all-in-one part to consider.
All-in-ones are way easier to install and I've used them before for convenience and cost savings, just not on performance vehicles like the mustang.
04-01-2017, 02:12 PM
#26
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Jasper, IN
Posts: 772
It's not that all inclusive are bad per say but things like spring rates, durometer of rubber, and other components may not be the same as what was taken off the car. That affects handling performance and balance at the limits. For mustangs and other performance oriented cars I would think that maintaining at least comparable handling to what is OEM is important vs a grocery getter or SUV where the primary focus is reliability or point a-to-b driving.
The more components you replace with non-oem components, or ones that aren't designated as better than OEM, the more you will likely negatively affect performance. I.E. Monroe Strut ok that's one item, Monroe strut + strut mount, that's now two items, Strut + mount + spring, that's three things now that may possibly be not as good as OEM so that's a compounded performance hit or a stacking of any negative attributes any one component may have had.
I mentioned KYB might be the only one I would consider an all-in-one part to consider.
All-in-ones are way easier to install and I've used them before for convenience and cost savings, just not on performance vehicles like the mustang.
The more components you replace with non-oem components, or ones that aren't designated as better than OEM, the more you will likely negatively affect performance. I.E. Monroe Strut ok that's one item, Monroe strut + strut mount, that's now two items, Strut + mount + spring, that's three things now that may possibly be not as good as OEM so that's a compounded performance hit or a stacking of any negative attributes any one component may have had.
I mentioned KYB might be the only one I would consider an all-in-one part to consider.
All-in-ones are way easier to install and I've used them before for convenience and cost savings, just not on performance vehicles like the mustang.
This car is my daily driver; the point A to point B car as you classified it. It is a V6 so the only "performance" driving I do is when trying to pass idiots on the highway who don't know how to signal or are using their cell phone while traveling at 70MPH. That is why I was leaning towards the Monroe easy struts. But the statement of never buy complete sets worried me; I didn't want to buy something that was unsafe or would need replacement again in a year.
Thank you for all your help..past, present, and future.
04-02-2017, 07:40 AM
#27
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
I really suspect that these so-called 'loaded struts' originally came about for reasons involving increased shop productivity (read: potentially more profitable for both the shop and the tech assigned to your job). Because of this, the struts used are going to favor a soft ride over composed handling - more to suit the 'average non-enthusiast driver' who doesn't know that the struts on his car are all done until a shop tech or service writer tells him. I suppose that's good enough for Camrys and such, though for myself I wouldn't even do loaded struts there (didn't on a Mazda 626, a Maxima, and a Subaru Legacy).
Another source of good or better quality tools - especially some of the specific-use tools like spring compressors and rear brake caliper tools - might be from somebody getting out of the car repair business, either through retirement or career change. The average home/DIY mechanic probably won't use spring compressors any more frequently than once a year, but it is nice to know you'll only have to go to your tool box when you do.
Norm
Another source of good or better quality tools - especially some of the specific-use tools like spring compressors and rear brake caliper tools - might be from somebody getting out of the car repair business, either through retirement or career change. The average home/DIY mechanic probably won't use spring compressors any more frequently than once a year, but it is nice to know you'll only have to go to your tool box when you do.
Norm
04-03-2017, 02:01 PM
#28
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Oh ok, I see what you are getting at. Thank you for that detailed explanation. That put everything into perspective.
This car is my daily driver; the point A to point B car as you classified it. It is a V6 so the only "performance" driving I do is when trying to pass idiots on the highway who don't know how to signal or are using their cell phone while traveling at 70MPH. That is why I was leaning towards the Monroe easy struts. But the statement of never buy complete sets worried me; I didn't want to buy something that was unsafe or would need replacement again in a year.
Thank you for all your help..past, present, and future.
This car is my daily driver; the point A to point B car as you classified it. It is a V6 so the only "performance" driving I do is when trying to pass idiots on the highway who don't know how to signal or are using their cell phone while traveling at 70MPH. That is why I was leaning towards the Monroe easy struts. But the statement of never buy complete sets worried me; I didn't want to buy something that was unsafe or would need replacement again in a year.
Thank you for all your help..past, present, and future.